Battery monitoring apparatus

Abstract

A battery monitoring apparatus is provided for monitoring unit batteries of an assembled battery which are grouped into battery blocks. The battery monitoring apparatus includes a battery ECU, voltage monitors each being mounted to a corresponding one of the battery blocks, and a monitor activation device. The battery ECU is configured to wirelessly transmit commands to the voltage monitors. The voltage monitors are configured to detect voltage information of the unit batteries and wirelessly transmit the detected voltage information to the battery ECU. The monitor activation device is configured to sequentially activate the voltage monitors with time lags in a predetermined order recognized by the battery ECU. Moreover, the battery monitoring apparatus is configured so that: the voltage monitors sequentially start wireless communication with the battery ECU in the predetermined order; and the battery ECU assigns IDs, via the wireless communication, sequentially to the voltage monitors in the predetermined order.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery monitoring apparatus for monitoring a plurality of unit batteries of an assembled battery installed in a vehicle, the unit batteries of the assembled battery being grouped into a plurality of battery blocks,
 the battery monitoring apparatus comprising: 
 a battery ECU; and 
 a plurality of voltage monitors each of which is adapted to be mounted to a corresponding one of the battery blocks, 
 wherein 
 the battery ECU is configured to wirelessly transmit commands to the voltage monitors, 
 the voltage monitors are configured to detect voltage information of the unit batteries and wirelessly transmit the detected voltage information to the battery ECU, 
 each of the voltage monitors is connected with the battery ECU via wiring, and 
 the battery monitoring apparatus is configured so that: 
 each of the voltage monitors starts, in response to receipt of a signal from the battery ECU via the wiring, wireless communication with the battery ECU; and 
 the battery ECU assigns IDs to the voltage monitors via the wireless communication. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery monitoring apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the battery monitoring apparatus is further configured so that:
 the battery ECU sends the signal, via the wiring, sequentially to the voltage monitors in a predetermined order; 
 the voltage monitors sequentially start the wireless communication with the battery ECU in the predetermined order in which the signal is sent sequentially to the voltage monitors; and 
 the battery ECU assigns the IDs sequentially to the voltage monitors in the predetermined order in which the wireless communication is started sequentially by the voltage monitors. 
 
     
     
       3. The battery monitoring apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the battery ECU is configured to identify each of the voltage monitors based on a state of the signal sent via the wire. 
 
     
     
       4. The battery monitoring apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the battery ECU is connected with an auxiliary battery via an electric power supply line. 
 
     
     
       5. The battery monitoring apparatus as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein
 an electric power feeding switch of the auxiliary battery is configured to be turned on and off in conjunction with a power switch of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery monitoring apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the voltage monitors includes a multiplexer that is configured to detect the voltage information between terminals of each of the unit batteries.